War in Ukraine: parliament lets gun owners buy night vision sights

90 lawmakers backed the proposed amendments to the Law on Control of Weapons and Ammunition, five were against and ten abstained. The changes are set to come into force in July.

Initiated by almost 30 MPs, the amendments remove night vision sights from category A weapons that are still prohibited in civilian circulation.

Commenting on the changes, Laurynas Kasciunas, chairman of the parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense, said they reflect the lessons learned from the war in Ukraine.

"Night vision sights are necessary for effective defense of our country. The war is fought regardless of the time of the day, so night vision sights are necessary, not just optical ones. We see the needs of the Ukrainians and we have time to learn from them", he told BNS.

Night vision sights will only be available to those who have a gun permit, while they will remain prohibited for hunting, Kasciunas said, pointing out that there are currently around 95,000 people in Lithuania who have gun permits.